A Wife Now Living

 How  is Mortality Presented in Larkin's 'Ambulances '?   By Oliver 'Ambulances' offers the reader an insight into Larkin's complex views and emotions on death. In this poem the ambulances that 'thread loud noons of cities' act as a memento mori for all who see them, a morbid reminder of 'the solving emptiness // That lies just un der all we do' . Throughout the poem Larkin raises the question, what is the point of life - of 'fashions' and ' families' and 'dinners' and 'the exchange of love' - if, sooner or later , we will all be 'vis i ted ' by death?   Throughout the poem Larkin comments on the universality of death, it is the one thing that unites everyone . The idea of ambulances that will eventually visit 'all streets' and 'come to rest at any kerb' is a metaphor for how everyone will eventually die. Larkin's depiction of death is deeply impersonal, the ambulances do not retu

  Explore how Larkin presents mortality in ‘Ambulances’ By Margaret   Larkin’s poem ‘Ambulances’ presents themes of mortality and the meaning of life through death. The grim tone of the poem is set in the first line when Larkin describes ambulances as ‘Closed like confessionals’. This religious element seems very bleak in this context, giving an impression of intimacy and truth, both things which are present at the moment of a person’s death. This immediate yet subtle introduction of the theme of mortality chills the atmosphere of the poem, which uses the image of an ambulance to embody the reality of mortality.          Inevitable and unpredictable reminders of our mortality are also emphasised in this poem, using the ambulance metaphor. In the first stanza, Larkin states that ‘All streets in time are visited’ by the ambulance, and that they could stop at ‘any kerb’, presenting mortality as an ominous, lingering presence which is perhaps often forgotten.           Likewise, the poem a

Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far? By Margaret What do you call a person whose mental and physical faculties are significantly impaired due to the over-consumption of alcohol? Unfortunately, if you said ‘drunk’, you would be politically  incorrect.  In 2022, the proper term is ‘chemically inconvenienced’. Have fun being cancelled! Political correctness: blessing or bother? The PC movement has been a looming presence in our society since the 1980’s. Initially, it was promoted in favour of minority groups facing discrimination and social prejudice. However, although I am happy to say ‘disabled’ instead of ‘crippled’, I am not so sure about calling an unemployed person ‘economically inactive’. It’s a mouthful, it’s hard to remember and it doesn’t really make sense. In the same way that I can’t possibly refer to a criminal as ‘behaviourally challenged’, ‘robbery’ cannot be called ‘wealth distribution’. But is there a method to this madness? Is it possible to sift through the verbal c

  Wie Shood Wee Chaynj thuh Speling Sistum? By Margaret What do overcooked porridge and the English Spelling System have in common? That’s right: they’re absolutely atrocious and  very  hard to swallow. So why have we tolerated it for so long (the Spelling System, I mean)? And is there a way to change it? Do we even know what the problems are? Read on as I take a sweeping look at the appalling state of my breakfast. And the Spelling System.       First, let’s take a look at what the problems are. Trust me, English is riddled with them.  ·         Homophones: words that sound the same but have different spellings or meanings (poor/pour) ·         Homographs: words that are spelled the same but have different spellings or meanings (tear/tear) ·         The same sound is represented by many different letters/letter combinations (ee/ea/ey) ·         One letter may make many different sounds ( a pple/p a lm/l a y) ·         Silent letters ( w rite/dou b t/crum b ) ·         Double letters (